126 Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. [Feb. 2, 1920. 



and habit of growth render any other method ineffective. Others wliich may 

 adapt themselves to the bush under conditions of moderate vigour, demand 

 greater scope for growth when placed upon very fertile soils or under 

 irrigation. Take, for example, the Zante Currant, 8ultatia, Shiraz, Malbeck 

 and Crystal, all of which are most unsatisfactory when trained as a bush 

 vine, no matter whether they be in poor or in fertile soils. 



These systems of trellis training are adapted to both the spur and rod- 

 pruned varieties, the scope of development being only limited by the vigour 

 of vines under given conditions, and the distance at which they are planted 

 apart. Thus we find in practice that certain of the weaker-growing varieties 

 are trained generally in a manner adapted to close planting. The same vines 

 will need greater scope for development as the fertility of the soil produces 

 greater amounts of wood. It may therefore be necessary to adopt some 

 different or modified system of training to suit varying conditions. A 

 uniform system of training upon a trellis would be as ineffective as the 

 universal adoption of the bush to all varieties. As the outcome of experience 

 we find that a number of different forms of trellis-training have been 

 evolved, and these are adapted to all class of vines, under a multiplicity 

 of conditions. Instances may be cited of vines such as the Zante Currant, 

 Sweet Water and Crystal being trained in such a manner as to give 30 to 

 40 feet of main arm. In individual cases they run to much more than this 

 length. 



The aim should be in every .system to utilise the full length of the trelli's 

 as a support to fruit-beariag wood, by building upon it the permanent arms 

 reaching from vine to vine, or by extending annual rods fi'om shorter arms. 



It is a more or less popular conception that trellising a vine is simply a 

 matter of allowing the canes to ramble as nature dictates over a supporting 

 framework. 



Such is not the case, however, as in the best forms of training the vine is 

 built up step by step upon a definitely conceived plan of construction Such 

 plans have always in view the utilisation of all space for fruit production, 

 and the maintainance of vigorous fruit-bearing wood from year to year. 

 Further, all the systems of trellising take into account the laws of nature 

 with reference to the growth and fruit-beai-ing of the vine. In this respect 

 it will be found that the greatest measure of success is attained by training 

 the vine in such a manner that the main arras, springing from a vertical stem 

 of varying height, are maintained in a position as near to the horizontal as it 

 is possible to get them. Subsequently the secondary arms, carrying the 

 fruit-bearing wood, are built upon the main arms at regularly spaced intervals. 

 Modifications must, of course, arise to suit special cases, such as, for instance, 

 the creation of two oi- more sets f)f main arms at different le\els upon strong- 

 growing varieties like th(; Zante Currant. Wine varieties more generally 

 respond to the simpler forms of training, for the reason that they are niaiidy 

 grown upon soil of only average fertility. 



[To be conliinied.) 



